Most Common Questions Asked in an Interview

Across interviews and industries, some questions are very common. Other questions are never asked, but you still must provide the answers in an interview. Below you will find a list of some of the most common interview questions.

In general, the questions asked in an interview relate to three areas: your skills, your passion, and your personal fit with the organization. For each question included below, the area to which it relates will be noted.

Your preparation should extend beyond answering these and other general questions to those particular for your field or industry. If you are uncertain what these specific interview questions might look like for the job that you are pursuing, take a look at various online discussion boards where job seekers are describing their experiences.

For the following questions, we've also included links to other content on this website that can help you address each particular topic. Remember that every answer to an interview question should be about you, your experience, goals, motivations, strengths, values, and personality.

Question 1: "Tell me about yourself." (Also known as "What brings you here today?") What the interviewer is trying to assess: your skills, your passion, and your fit with the organization.

Question 2: "Why don't you walk me through your resume." What the interviewer is trying to assess: your skills.

Question 3: What would you contribute to this organization? (Also known as "Why should we hire you?") What the interviewer is trying to assess: your skills.

Question 4: Why do you want to work for us? What the interviewer is trying to assess: your passion.

Question 5: What do you do during your free time? What the interviewer is trying to assess: your fit.